Devastating: Bullied Transgender Teen Activist Commits Suicide

It's the 11th reported suicide of a trans youth this year.

On May 18th, 14-year-old Kyler Prescott took his own life. The San Diego transgender teen was an artist, a pianist, and an outspoken activist for both marriage equality and animals.

Kathie Moehlig, a close friend and mom of a trans teen herself, spoke to the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News with the Prescott family's permission. She said Kyler was totally supported at home, with loving parents who stuck by his side and gave him the space to be himself. They asked him if he wanted old photos taken down from around the house that pictured him in dresses. They joined organizations and support groups. But Kyler was fighting against puberty and struggling with his body betraying the gender he felt inside.

"Your body doesn't match the image of what you feel it should match," Kathie told SDGLN. "And that becomes difficult on your mental health and the dysphoria can be overwhelming. We can sit here and try and dissect as to why this happened. I don't think it that there's anything that can be pinpointed, I think it's a matter of it just got too hard. He just couldn't continue anymore. Mom was educated in suicide prevention, support people were around. Everything that could have been done was done. It just was too hard."

Then, there was the bullying. Kyler's mom Katharine spoke to ABC10 News before her son's memorial service this past Friday. She said Kyler suffered from depression and started cutting himself two years ago, but he had been doing well the past year. But this past Easter, he started cutting again after he was harassed on the social media site Kik, telling his mom, "They said horrible, sexual things and told me I shouldn't be alive."

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help the Prescott family cover the costs of Kyler's funeral. They are also building the Kyler Prescott Courage Garden, where other teens in need can go when they are in need of some strength and support. Our hearts go out to all of Kyler's friends and the Prescott family and hope telling his story raises awareness for what's become a horrible epidemic.

If you or someone you know needs help, please tell a parent, teacher, doctor, or other trusted adult, and find more resources here.

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